Portable beverage-dispensing apparatus



Jan. 2, 1923.

- 1,441,171. F. E. RICE.

PORTABLE BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS FILED MAY 19, I922.

Patented den. 2, W23.

entree FRANK E. RICE, 0F DETROIT, IWICHIGAN,

ASSIGNOR T0 AJEEE'LCAN TA]? BUSH COMPANY, OF DETBOIT, TEICHIGAN, A CORPOBATIUN 011* MECHEGAIQ.

To all whom it Be it known that I, FRANK FOR'IABLE BEVERAGE-DISPENSENG APJPAR Application filed. May 19, 1922. Serial No. 562,08$.

may concern:

E. Rios, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

sidin at Detroit, in the county of 5 and Estate of Michigan,

Nayne have invented certain new and useful improvements in Portable Beverage-Dispensing Apparatus,

which the following is a specification, reference being had thereon to the accompanying drawings.

The regular bar equipment,

cooling means,

including a source of air under pressure or air pressure supplying means and dispensing apparatus,

together with the necessary piping, 1s LOO expensive -l'or installation in small stores tus is not portable and it is necessary to move of this invention is to provide a [an object and such apparacan not be used where the equipment about.

simple and convenient portable apparatus for the purpose of dispensing beverages and cooling the same, which apparatus may be conveniently and quickly applied directly to the container for the beverage.

A further object is to provide an apparatus including the usual 7 device and also including cooling and keg or barrel tapdispensing means which may be applied to the tapped keg or barrel and form a complete portable dispensing outfit.

A further object is to provide an apparatus which includes convenient cooling means adapted to be readily attached to a keg or barrel terms a convenient support for dispensing mechanism and a port upon which glasses may ported by ing means and supand which coolcounter or supbe placed in dispensing the beverage.

With the above and other ends in view, the invention consists in combining a cooling tank, and a tapping dispensing means, an air pump,

device in such a manner as to make the apparatus portable and readily applicable to a container for the beverage.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement in connection with or a cooling tank the other mentioned apparatus, whereby the tank may be readily and detachably applied to a keg or barrel and supported thereby in operative position. lit is also an object of the invention to provide a cooling tank adapted to be supported by a keg or barrel and a support for which in turn forms a dispensing apparatus, the

tank forming a counter beneath the dispensing apparatus and a drain therefor.

tank in section.

3 is a plan View of the tank; r 1g. dds a cross sectional detail of a tank, substantially upon the line fl -X. of Fig.

3, and Fig. of a cla is a side elevation and a plan view The particular apparatus illustrative of the invention is particularly adapted for use mg the in connection with a keg or barrel containfiuid to be dispensed, but it will be understood that this apparatus may be applied as well to other forms of containers.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the usual commercial keg or barrel, which in the usual manner -talpping device.

whole at 2, and which an opening in the head container for beverages, such as a is adapted to be tapped by means of the usual which is indicated as a is inserted through of the barrel provided with the usual bushing 3 for connecting the lace in the barrel. The

vided body 4: of the tapping device in body 4; is also prowith the usual air nipple 5 to which an air hose 6 is connected in the usual manner.

Extending through the body is a tap tube 7 which extends downwardly within the barrel to near the lower end thereof and has suitable means at its upper end for connecting thereto tapping device rel, air

top of causes the beverage to tap tube 7 such a delivery pipe or tube 8. After the has been applied to the bar pressure is forced into the barrel on the fluid therein and this pressure How up through the tapping apparatus and its application to a keg or barrel being old and well known.

In order that a complete portable apparatus may be provide paratus had, a suitable cooling tank 9 is d in connection with the tapping ap- Qand a suitable dispensing faucet,

indicated as a whole by the numeral 10, is mounted upon the top of the tank 9 in which is a suitable cooling coil 11 with one end of the coil connected to the dispensing faucet and the opposite end of the coil terminating in a suitable nipple connection 11 carried by the tank top and extending therethrough for the connection thereto of the dispensing tube or pipe 8.

Beneath the tank 9 and secured thereto in any suitable manner to be supported thereby, is an air pump 12, the discharge nipple or outlet of which is connected to the air hose 6 so that-an air pressure may be conveniently pumped up in the barrel 1, the pump being preferably placed beneath the tank where it will be out of the Way and will be carried by the tank which forms a support therefor.

One side of the tank 9 is preferably formed concave in plan view of the tank to conform somewhat to the curvature of the barrel side wall and rest against the same in a manner to prevent a rocking movement of said tank against said wall and a laterally projecting flange 13 is provided on this side of the tank at the upper edge thereof to engage over the chime of the barrel. Suitable clamps 14 carried by the tank are provided to detachably engage the barrel chime and detachably and rigidly hold the tank in place on the barrel, said clamps each comprising a U-shaped member 23 having a hook at one end to engage the inner side of a barrel chime, and carrying a thumb screw 24 at its opposite end to engage the outer side, an arm or bracket 25 being provided to support the clamp which bracket is pivoted at 26 to an end wa l of the tank 9; In Fig. 5 a slightly modified form of clamp is shown, said modification being provided to give a universal adjustment so that the clamp may be engaged over the chime of barrels of various sizes, the carrying bracket comprisin a plate 27, pivotally attached to the end wall of the tank 9 by the pivot 26 and to which plate the clamp member 23 is connected by a link 28 having vertical eyes or openings at its ends to receive a vertical pivot 29 on the plate and a downwardly extending stud 30 on the member 23. The clamp may thus be swung over the barrel chime about the pivot 26 and adjusted laterallyby swinging upon the pivots 29 and 30 to give the desired angle tothe clamp member 23 relative to barrel diameter. 7

The tank is also provided with an opening in its top Wall through which access may be had to the interior of the tank .so that ice may be placed in the tank for cooling the coil 11. A closure 15 is provided for the opening consisting of a top wall 16 having a plurality of perforations 17 and a pan 18 depending from the top wall, the edge wall 19 of the pan being formed to. fit closely in the tank openin and form a tight closure therefor. A mi; 20 in the bottom of the pan affords communication between the chamber-formed between the bottom and top walls of the closure and the interior of the tank, and sealing walls 21 and 22 extend from end to end of the pan, one wall extending upward in the chamber to near the top thereof and the other extending downward from the top wall 16 to near the bot tom of the pan. Drippings from the dispensing faucet drop on to the closure and pass through the openings 17 in the top Wall into the pan, the sealing wall 21 in the pan which extends upward from the bottom thereof holding a quantity of the drippings in the pan against running out of the hole 20 in the bottom of the pan and the sealing wall 22 which extends downward in the pan and dips into this fluid, sealing the pan against air passing therethrough but permitting the drippings to escape through the hole in the bottom of the pan into the tank. Water and drippings are therefore caught and allowed to escape into the tank while the tank is sealed against the escape of cold air therefrom.

Obviously any suitable dispensing faucet 10 adapted to be secured to the tank top may be employed and any desired construction and arrangement of means for holding the tank in place upon a barrel or any other container to which it is desired to apply the device, may be used as well as an air pump, tapping device, or cooling element, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement shown.

What I claim is 1. A portable beverage-dispensing apparatus for application to the curved wall of a circular container, comprising container tapping means including an air hose con- 110 IlBCtlOIl, a cooling tank having a side formed to engage said curved wall of the container and prevent rocking movement of said tank against said wall, said tank being formed with an opening in its top wall, a closure for said opening, means on said tank to engage over the end edge of said wall of said container and detachably support the tank therefrom, a dispensing faucet on said tank with its discharge end above said closure, a 20 cooling coil in said tank with one end connected to said faucet, a flexible connection between the opposite end of said coil and the discharge end of said tapping means, an air pump, and a flexible connection between 5 said pump and the air hose connection of said tapping means.

2. A portable beverage-dispensing apparatus for application to the curved wall of a keg or barrel, said apparatus comprising A tween said pump and said tapping means and between the end of said coil projecting through the wall of the tank and said tapping means to permit of the application of said apparatus to kegs or barrels of various sizes, and means on the tank for detachably engaging the chime of the barrel or keg to detachably suspend said tank therefrom with the side of the tank resting against the curved wall of the keg or barrel, said means including clamps to engage over the chime and pivotal connections between said clamps and said tank to provide a swinging movement of said clamps and an adjustment thereof radially of the keg or barrel, to provide for the application thereof to kegs or barrels of diiierent diameters.

3. ln a portable dispensing apparatus, the combination with a keg or barrel for holding a beverage, of tapping means for tapping the barrel including an air hose connectiom and a tap tube extending into the barrel, a cooling tank having a side formed to conform to the side of the barrel and having a laterally extending supporting flange to engage the rim of the barrel, said tank being also provided with an opening in its top, a closure for the opening in the top of the tank, said closure having a top wall provided with a plurality of openings and a pan depending from the top wall and fitting within the opening, water sealing means within the pan of the closure for preventing the escape of air from the tank through the openings in the top of the closure, a dispensing faucet mounted directly upon the top of the tank with its discharge end extending over the closure, a cooling coil in the tank with one end connected to the dispensing faucet and its opposite end extending through the top of the tank, a flexible connection connecting the end of the cooling coil extending through the top of the tank with the outer end of the tap tube of the tapping means, an air pump, and a flexible connection between the air pump and the air connection of the tapping means.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. RICE.

Witnesses LEwIs E. FLANDERS, ANNA M. Donn. 

